South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andreas Kravik on Wednesday called on parties to the 2018 peace deal to jointly decide on the appropriate modalities for the upcoming elections.
Kravik said after in a statement issued in Juba, after concluding his two-day itinerary that the modalities include, reforming of the security sector with a focus on politically neutral security forces and sufficient government funding of the electoral bodies.
He reaffirmed his government’s strong support for the people of South Sudan which is based on fundamental values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
“We discussed various issues of mutual interest, chief amongst them the upcoming elections at the end of the year. I underlined Norway’s unwavering commitment to credible and democratic elections as the best means to ensure a peaceful end to the transitional period,” Kravik said.
He warned that the world is watching how the government would confront the issue of elections.
“Norway sincerely hopes that the government will rise to the occasion and act with determination and credibility to ensure a prosperous and free South Sudan based on democracy, rule of law and human rights,” Kravik said.
Kravik also noted that much work remains to be done to meet the prerequisites for the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections.
“We also discussed other vital issues such as the importance of ensuring sufficient space for civic and political engagement and transparency in the financial sector, two issues where Norway has serious concerns regarding the current state of affairs,” he said.
On November 3, 2024, President Salva Kiir Mayardit reconstituted the National Constitutional Review Commission, (NCRC) National Elections Commission (NEC) and Political Party Council (PPC).
National Constitutional Review Commission is mandated to spearhead the drafting of the permanent constitution, the Political Parties Council is mandated to register political parties and the National Elections Commission is mandated to oversee the conduct of credible elections.
